John ''Red" Shea served 12 years in federal prison on drug charges he racked up while working for James ''Whitey" Bulger. Now, he's written a memoir, ''Rat Bastards: The Life and Times of South Boston's Most Honorable Irish Mobster," with an introduction by none other than Mark Wahlberg. ''While [in prison], [Shea] became a sort of 'gangster priest,' counseling men ten and twenty years his senior to stay strong and not to rat on their friends," Wahlberg writes. ''Red believes in doing the right thing, no matter the consequences; his code of honor is unshakable." The ''Four Brothers" star so admires the ex-con that he optioned the film rights to the book, which traces Shea's life from the mean streets in Southie to his release from the federal pen.

According to the Boston Herald; Donnie Wahlberg, who has bought the rights to “Rat Bastards,” the memoirs of Southie mobster John “Red” Shea, has asked for a copy of the interview WB56 newsgal Karen Marinella did with Red for research purposes. Donnie is expected to play Shea, who shall forever be known as the guy who blew the whistle on Whitey Bulger’s gay three-way with a Southie bookie and ’60s Hollywood heartthrob Sal Mineo.

The folks on Wingo Way have their Wahlbergs confused. It's not Donnie, but baby bro' Mark Wahlberg who bought the film rights to John ``Red" Shea's memoir about working for James ``Whitey" Bulger. And it was Mark's peeps who called Channel 56 to get a copy of Karen Marinella's recent interview with Shea. But Donnie will have dealings with Channel 56. He recently filmed a pilot called ``Runaway" and it'll air locally on Channel 56. The show -- the only new drama ordered by CW, the network created by the combination of the WB and UPN -- also stars Leslie Hope of "24" and Sarah Ramos of "American Dreams."